A week later the deadly floods which left more than 200 dead in the south-east of Spainparticularly in the Valencia region, solidarity is being organized to help disaster victims, even across borders. In the southwest of France, native Valencians who live in Béarn, Landes, and the Basque Country are calling for donations. They collect canned food, clothes, medicines among othersto bring them to the Spaniards in the sectors most affected by the bad weather of October 29.
Impossible for these original Valencians to do nothing
Oscar Espi lives near Oloron-Sainte-Marie, in Asasp-Arros. This mechanic, who has lived in France for ten years, has many of his relatives in the Valence area. When he learned what had happened, the torrential rains, the chaos of cars swept away by the floods, the flooded houses, the disfigured villages, and the hundreds of victims, it was impossible for him to sit there and do nothing. TO DO. So he decided tocall for donations from the inhabitants of Béarn around his home and elsewhereand to transport foodstuffs and equipment to Valencia.
“As soon as the trucks are full, we go down”
“I have aunts, close family there, and lots of friends who live in the area that was affected” says Oscar, “Luckily they are still alive, but they lost everything. Seeing everything that happened is hard. Especially when you can't do anything”. It is also to see that aid had difficulty reaching these regions that Oscar wanted to do something. “We have utility trucks so we can go to Valencia and bring back everything the victims need: food, clothes, medicine, things for cleaning, even kibble for dogs and cats”.
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There are many families there who have not been able to return home, and who are gradually trying to resume the course of their lives after the damage. It is to help these families, in addition to his own, that Oscar wanted to participate in this convoy from the southwest to Spain. Friends of his, also from Valencia, will also leave from Peyrehorade in the Landes, or from the Spanish Basque Country. The objective is to succeed in filling the four trucks that the group of friends owns. “As soon as the trucks are full, or as soon as we have enough to be able to go down, we go down,” Oscar says.
Catalan flower
To make a donation that will leave with this convoy, it is possible to contact Oscar Espi on 07 54 07 81 82, or via social networks. Oscar also appealed to local associations, hoping that they could support him in his collection of aid for the Spanish disaster victims.
